Mattress.



PATBNTED JAN. 30, 1906.

W. ROBERTSON MATTRESS.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 17,1904.

\/\/ EEEEE PATBNTED JAN. 30, 1906.

W. ROBERTSON. MATTRESS.

APPLICATION FILED 01113.17. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

000 nooo [ir/WWU elf/15027 y To all whom it may concern.-

I UNITE srA'rns PATENT OFFICE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented can. so, rece.

y Application led October 17, 1904. Serial lIo. 228,842.

Beit known that I,WILLIAM ROBERTSON, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a` resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and vState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mattresses; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to .the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specication.

This invention relates to improvements in mattresses, and more particularly to incombustible mattresses constructed of resilient' metal fibers, such as steel wool.

Heretoiore many kinds of vegetable and animal fibers have been used for filling mattresses and .when new such possess considerable resiliency. After a longer or shorter period of use, however, the fibers become permeated with the exhalations from the body and owing to their porous nature become a frequent cause of disease and a constant menace to the health of the users. Furthermore, the iibers become broken u and even reduced to a ine dust, which sifts out into `the atmosphere, endangering health.` -The slow decay of such bers also adds to the danger, and it is a well-known fact that such mattresses'not only'become filled with bacteria,

ybut also likely to contain vermin.

The object ofthe invention is to provide a mattress of `great and permanent resilienc and practica ly indestructible and in whic the filling Vis of an incombustible non-absorb- `teria and vermin.

entmaterial, not subject to cutting or breaking in use and not capable of harboring bac- It is also an ob'ect of the invention to provide a mattress o electrically-conducting material and also adapted to admit of warming by means of an electric current or otherwise, whereby a desired and uniform temperature can be maintained.

It is a further eb'ect of the invention to aford means for app ying electrical treatment Without inconvenience tol or the necessity for moving a patient from'his bed.

The Invention consistsin the matters heremafter described, and more` fully pointed out and defined inthe appended claims.

.In the drawin igure 1 is a perspective view, partly bro en, of a mattress'embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a' diagrammatic section of a mattress embodying my invention. Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of a part of one of the resistance-coils.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a device embodying my invention, showing one method of applying electrical treatment. Fig. 6 is a plan View of one of the contacts. Fi 7 is an enlarged fragmentary section o the same.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the mattress, showing the lower contactpiece in place. Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragy mentary plan view of the wire net shown 1n Figs. 7, 8, and 9. Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary section ofthe lower cpntact. As shown in said drawings,'a central mass of fine long .metallic shavings A, such as steel wool, is shaped to the form of a mattress, as

shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and on top and botv, tom, side and ends of which is provided one ormore comparatively thin layers a a of absorbent material, such as felt or other suitable non-conducting, or. insulating core l1? and inclosed in a non-conductin and non-inflammable material, such as as estos, (indicated by b.) As shown, three of said resistancecoils are employed, though obviousl a greater or less number maybe used, an tends lon itudinall of the mattressk at its center an near eac side of the same, and, as

shown, each is connected with the conductors B and B2, adapted to be connected with any source of electric supply.

In -employing the mattress for electrical treatment a conductor Bs is extended through the fabric and into the mass of steel wool to 'nearthe center of the mattress and a contact or conducting sheet C of any suitable material is laid upon the mattress and provlded with metallic points which extend througlhe the ticking a2 and felt a into contact with t steel wool within. As shown, said conductorsheet com rises a exible sheet c, oi.' rubber, upon which is secured a sheet c', of fine wire net and the ins cs extend throu h-the net and rubber s eet and-project s ciently to each ex- IOO IIO

extend down into the steel Wool When laid upon the-mattress, as shown in Fig. 8. A

thin sheet of fabric c4 is then moistened and with combs or short points c, AWhic extend into proximity with the body of the atient or the parts thereof to be treated. binding-post D is connected with said conductor C', adapted for connection with one of the conductors from any suitable source of current-as, for instance, a static mach1ne While the other conductor is connected with the conductor B3 ofthe mattress.

The operation is as follows: The mattress, owing to the great resiliency of the steel Wool and its imperishable qualities, maintains its resiliency and form indefinitely and owing to the presence of the thin absorbent layer of felt or other suitable material investing the same affords a very soft comfortable bed not subject to deterioration. Should it be desired-as, for instance, in treating the sickto maintain a uniform tem erature for a period of time, it can be rea ily accomplished by means of the resistance-coils contained therein, which, however, being flexible and embedded centrally in the mattress are in no Wise objectionable. Should it be desired to treat the patient by means of electricity, Athe current from one conductor may be connected into the mattress, as before described, or directly With the conductor C and the other with the conductor C and the electricity supplied by any suitable electrical machine or other source of current. In this manner the entire person may be placed in circuit and subjected to electrical action, or any portion ofthe same may be so treated and the current may be applied for any desired length of time Without necessitating moving the atient. Inasmuch as the surface ex ose is very large, current of considerab e strength may be applied Without inconvenience and even W e the patient is slee ing.

Olbviously myinventionis adaptable for ordinary use as a bed and for electrical treatment, and the same may be constructed of various forms, and many details of construction and a plication may be varied, without. de arting om the principle of my invention. I t erefore do not purpose limiting this application otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention-A 1. A mattress comprising a core consisting Wholly or in part of elcctrically-conducting material, a layer of fabric such as felt inclosing said material, a covering fabric investing the same, and an electrical conductor embedded in said conducting material.

2. A mattress comprising a central mass of fine resilient long metal shavings, a thin la er of felt covering the same, an investing fabric such as ticking affording a cover, an electrical conductor in contact with said shavings, and means rejecting through the investing material a apted to convey electricity to the patient-treated.

. 3. A mattress comprising a central mass of incombustible conducting material, an inclosing fabric therefor,' an electrical conductor extending through said fabric into said material, a conducting-sheet and a plurality of points thereon adapted to project into said material.

4. A mattress comprising a filling consisting Wholly of non-combustible, electricallyconducting material, and means for passing an electric current through said material.

5. A mattress comprising a central core of non-combustible electrical conducting material, an absorbent covering therefor, a tick inclosirig said material and covering, an electrical conductor embedded in said: material and projectin through the tick, aconductingsheet and a p urality of contact-points thereon adapted to project through the tick into said conducting material.

6. In a device of the class described the combination with a central core of metallic IOO rality of points thereon and suspended above said core.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed rny name in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WmLrAM ROBERTSON.

Witnesses:

W. W. WITHENBURY,

H. S. Renn.v 

